| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 12 positive, 1 negative]
|
| 08/05/09 |
Positive
|
| AMAZING! Simple as that. The house is beautiful and amazing, with little weird things that you find as you explore more and more. Great fruit in the backyard, and has alot more kitchen accessories than we were expecting. Roy and the family were far superior to any landlords we've ever met. Can't wait to go back and visit our brothers and sisters. |
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Catlin and April Homer, Ontario, Canada |
|
| 01/04/09 |
Positive
|
| We stayed in August of '08 and had a wonderful time. It was a perfect addition to the end of our trip! We love San Ignacio and the location is perfect! Thanks to Roy and his wife for all the help! The vehicle rental was very reliable, we highly recommend it! The house suited our needs perfectly! We hope to return with the whole family soon! Thanks again! |
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Lisa & Chester, Ontario, Canada
|
|
| 04/13/08 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had such a wonderful time at Kumquat Cottage! We wished we
could have stayed longer--your little home is a truly magical spot. Roy,
Ercilia, Janice, and Kira were so kind and helpful as well. We were luck enough to catch the Holy Saturday bike race be
for we left.
Thank you again! We hope to return to Belize and to Kumquat Cottage someday.
|
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Tegan and Matt
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|
| 04/12/08 |
Positive
|
Thank you Phillip for the Kumquat experience. Roy is a superb host for our introduction to Belize, of its history, places to go, things to do.
The house is unique inside and out. The depth of the lot, the fruit trees, flowers, birds and the close access to downtown and its restaurants and stores. The people of San Ignacio helped make the "experience" even greater. Never have we had so many "Good Morning's" just walking around the streets. As we were told, "We dont have plastic smiles".
Thanks again, and thank you San Ignacio. |
| |
Fred Fitzgerald, Strathmore, Alta. Canada
|
|
| 10/21/07 |
Positive
|
Philip, we enjoyed our glorious 2+ weeks at Kumquat Cottage. Waking up to the sounds of nature is a great way to start the day, especially when staying in town. Unfortunately we were so busy with our anniversary party, visiting with family and friends, and sightseeing around Belize and at Tikal that we weren't able to enjoy the grounds of the cottage as we would have liked to...maybe next time.
We are glad we were able to meet you before we left. You didn't take long to complete the painting at the back of the cottage..it is beautiful!
Thankfully Hurricane Felix didn't make it's way to Belize...we thought about you as we left Belize...and wondered if you would be able to finish painting before the weather changed!
We highly recommend Kumquat Cottage.
Our stay there made for some wonderful memories of our 25th wedding anniversary.
Regards,
Domo & Cindy |
| |
Domingo & Cindy Cruz, Montague, MI
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|
| 06/29/07 |
Positive
|
| We just returned from a 4 day stay at the Kumquat Cottage. It was a great cottage in a wonderful town. The backyard and roof were great places to relax, enjoy a Belikan, after a day of Cayo district adventures. Great location close to town yet quiet neighborhood with friendly neighbors. This is a much better way to enjoy Cayo district than the resorts, walk to restaurants, experience the feel of San Ignacio. Great place...Thanks! |
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Kirk, Kim Hayley & Julia, Monterey, Virginia
|
|
| 05/26/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We really enjoyed ourselves. The place
is lovely, inside and out. Your garden/backyard is looking lush. The
flowers are beautiful. I liked the fresh coconut juice, the location, the
birds, the bathroom-everything. Roy was helpful and our tour with his
friend was a ton of fun. The kitchen was fully equipped and we used the
juicer several times. Having the computer was handy and the fans were
welcomed,
too.
|
| |
Lucienne and Ron
|
|
| 03/07/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Everything went great at your place. We really enjoyed our stay. It took us a
while to get used to where all the light swiches were! We made friends with
the kids down the road, and they were a delight. We don't have any kids so it
was a hoot for us to hang out with them. Whenever we came home, they
would be waiting. Bruce really enjoyed talking with Roy, we have been
thinking about buying in Belize so he was a wealth of information. Your place
is great, we could tell you have put a great deal of time and thought into
it. Your yard will be be a beautiful oasis in the years to come. It already is,
and will only get better as the years go by. I'm sure you must hate to leave
the place, and look forward to a time when you can spend more time there.
San Ignacio is a great town and we really enjoyed our time there. The people
are so friendly, we will definatly be going again. I loved the south indian
restaurant, the fellow that owns it was so friendly and nice. I suspect he has a
great sense of humor if you get to know him better. Anyway all was great, we
loved it, we would definatly contact you if we come your way again.
|
| |
Bruce and Marie M.
|
|
| 03/02/07 |
Positive
|
| Our three-night stay was very nice at Kumquat Cottage. We are a family of two adults and two teens and there was plenty of space. The house itself was very artistic, fun, and most comfortable. The kids enjoyed the roof at night while star gazing, while we adults got up early and headed to the roof with our coffee to see the sunrise and enjoy the birds in the trees. The location was very good with an easy walk to the shops and restaurants. We appreciated the use of the laptop to communicate with family back home in the cold winter weather, informing them how lovely and warm Belize was. Roy, Janice, and Kera were all very friendly and helpful. Kera brought us more paper towels and napkins. Roy was even so kind as to drive our family (and luggage) to the bus stop on our day of departure. We hope to stay at Kumquat Cottage again next year! Thanks Philip! |
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The Lundgrens, Bellingham, Washington |
|
| 01/07/07 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We just returned from an unforgettable two weeks in Belize and Kumquat
Cottage was a unique, fun and welcoming place to stay in San Ignacio. From
the time Roy picked us up from the water taxi terminal, we felt that we were
in good hands and that we could depend on him for all our needs.
The cottage was just as you described, very comfortable quarters for four
adults with all the necessary amenities except for a toaster which was
brought to us as soon as we mentioned it to Roy. The backyard was a great
place to hang out on the hammock and make a BBQ..unfortunatley the
kumquats
were not in season.
Roy's family was most helpful in ensuring that we were looked after. Kera
took us grocery
shopping the first day and Janice did our laundry. Moreover, we were
invited to their house for our last nights dinner and had a great time
singing karaoke with them.
The location was most convenient as we walked into town on many occasions
as
well as the Casino and Cahal Pech. The restaurants were all top notch,
especially Hannah's Kitchen and Firenze and the tours to Tical, ATM and
Mountain Pine Ridge were all excellent. Your tips and recommendations that
you gave prior to our arrival were most helpful in making our visit a
memorable one.
Thanks for everything and we look forward to visiting again in the not too
distant future.
|
| |
Wendi
|
|
| 01/07/07 |
Positive
|
| Kumquat Cottage is an excellent and beautiful spot for bird watching. We saw Keel-billed Toucans, Collared Aricaris and Robins feeding in the palm trees in the morning and found the whole experience very pleasant and peaceful. It was also great to be able to walk into San Ignacio for food or entertainment every day. |
| |
Andrea Williams, Charleston, South Carolina |
|
| 12/23/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
The Kumquat was a wonderful and economical experience. It provides a
warm and comfortable base of operations far exceeding anything a hotel
room could provide. The obvious thoughtfulness of your creation, combined
with the attentiveness of Roy Gentle made me feel I was staying with a friend.
|
| |
Bill Clinton
Sonoma, CA
|
|
| 12/21/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Marvin and I had a great stay at the Kumquat Cottage. Very nice home. Roy
was great, was very pleased to get to know him.
|
| |
Karen and Marvin
AZ
|
|
| 10/25/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
We had a very relaxing stay in Kumquat Cottage, such a beautiful space and
yard. Roy met us at the cottage when we arrived there Friday afternoon. He
gave us the tour and showed us how to turn on the lights in various spots.
We had stopped at the market and picked up food to cook dinner. There is
so much to do and see in the Cayo district that we were only there in the
evenings until Monday, when we got to hang out and relax before our trip
home.
Thanks for creating such a soothing environment, we loved it.
|
| |
Willow M
Marysville, WA
|
|
| 09/18/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
From a travelogue posted at the Belizeforum
Thursday August 31, 2006
We arrived in Belize and was met by Roy, the caretaker of Kumquat Cottage in
San Ignacio. After going through customs...a breeze, we headed toward San
Ignacio. The view, though beautiful also showed the obvious poverty
relatively speaking to most of the U.S. We stopped at the Chinese market for
some food, PBJ, and other things and then stopped at the produce market
and then to the cottage. Roy showed us around then left us on our own to
explore the grounds of the cottage. Kumquat cottage is a nice place and great
if you want to get the real feel of living in Belize, it is right in a residential
area and very close to town. We were tired and just stayed around the cottage
and explored the yard with our son. The landscape of the yard is beautiful
and so natural and makes you feel you are in the jungle. The bedroom has AC
and thank goodness for that because the humidity is outrageous in Belize.
Now I understand why hot water is not necessary. The kitchen was fairly well
equipped and the detail was interesting. I quickly noted the coins in the
countertop as well as the small snake??? EJ, our 3 y.o. son thought the bean
bag was pretty cool and he slept on that most nights, though we brought it
into the cooled bedroom with us so he was more comfortable. The yard is
very nice, avocado, lime, lemon, banana, kumquats, coconuts and I am
probably missing something, but you could live off the food growing on this
property.
Friday September 1, 2006
Still a bit tired from our trip and the stresses of home and business we
decided to just explore town and take it easy. EJ and I woke early and first
climbed the stairs to the roof of the house. We gathered avocados from the
roof… San Ignacio is a great place to stay as there is so much to see in a
short distance. We liked that we could go and do something for a few hours
and then return to the cottage. We did just that as EJ was ready for a nap.
When he woke he insisted we go to the roof for avocodos.
|
| |
docniss
indiana
|
|
| 09/15/06 |
Positive
|
We had a great time and enjoyed our stay in the cottage. Our 3 y.o. old son loved roaming the yard and having a picnic in the 'jungle', amongst all the delicious fruit trees. He also loved playing in the stream down the hill.
We enjoyed the quietness of the cottage and the proximity to town and daily excursions. For anyone wanting to get the real feel of being in Belize, then I would recommend Kumquat Cottage. In addition, Roy, the caretaker is a gem. If there is something you want, just ask him. He will take care of it. Next time we visit San Ignacio, we will stay at Kumquat Cottage. |
| |
Anissa, John & EJ, Nappanee, IN
|
|
| 07/26/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Staying at the Kumquat cottage was an incredible experience and a real
retreat after a long day in the Ministry. Philip, You have really provided the
comforts of home. We considered staying at two other locations in St Ignacio,
yes they were nice but compared to the location of the kumquat to town and
the privacy of your own home it really didn't compare. My children enjoyed
the adventuresome back yard, while Rita and I enjoyed sitting on the flat roof
taking advantage of the cool breeze and sipping a cold drink while admiring
the view.
I love the fact that from the Kumquat you can simply walk down the hill to the
shops and cafe in town. I will miss my 6 am ritual at Hanna's coffee shop.
Thanks for the comforts of home while on assignment assisting the locals for
the last 3 weeks, Roy and his family were always there if we needed anything.
I look forward to our next trip to the Kumquat.
|
| |
Gavin
Canada
|
|
| 06/29/06 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Everything was great! The cottage is amazing-we were totally blown away!
You have done an amazing job- it truly is the most beautiful place we've
seen.
Roy and Janice were also a huge part of the success of our trip. They were so
helpful and such gracious hosts- we felt spoiled.
Thanks for opening your home to us- it was just wonderful!
|
| |
Traci Boyle
Portland, OR
|
|
| 05/11/06 |
Positive
|
Kumquat Cottage is a wonderfully tranquil place
right in the middle of San Ignacio. Roy (manager)
and family were more than helpful and very friendly
and outgoing. They took care of my every need
and i now consider them friends. I've been to San
Ignacio before but never had such a wonderful time
or had nicer or more peaceful accomodations.
Between the house and the gardens you will find
something new amazing every day.
I highly recommend Kumquat Cottage for those
that wish less of a tourist experience and more of a
chance to see what it would be like to live in Belize.
Hats off to the owners Philip and Preston for
teaming up with Roy and creating a home with such
a positive and welcoming aura. |
| |
Corry, Canada
|
|
| 04/30/06 |
Positive
|
| Had a really great time. Everything as described on the Web site. |
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Anonymous, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
|
| 04/29/06 |
Positive
|
First of all, if you are still deciding whether you want to visit the Cayo area of Belize, you're wasting your time. As Nike says, Just do it! Because Cayo was the richest, most rewarding travel experience I've ever had and that includes much of the world. I mean, you've got world class caving, world class birding, world class Mayan temples, rainforest, pine forest, waterfalls, kayaking, and my favorite, world class warmth from the Belizean people.
As for the Kumquat Cottage, it is also world class in its own charming way. As you probably know by now, the Kumquat Cottage has many unique features such as "sundial" skylights, artful acid-etched floors, and several indigenous touches such as the mahogany door with Mayan carving. In addition, they've thought of everything including a cell phone, flat screen TV with DVD player, and even a cool car available for rental at about half the going price.
The Cottage is very close to downtown San Ignacio, but still offers an artfully landscaped backyard with fruit trees (yes, including young kumquats), a small stream, and a peaceful, serene vibe. For me, traveling is much about being exposed to and learning from the culture. As you can imagine, this setting is perfect for this. Of course, San Ignacio hosts many small tour companies that can take you to Mayan ruins, horseback riding, river tubing, caving, birding, etc.
Must also say that the owner was extremely helpful in the weeks leading up to my reserved time (reserve now, the word is already getting out), with advice, suggestions, and answers to any and all questions. He handled the entire transaction with professionalism, grace, and integrity. The same can be said for the Belizean caretakers.
In short, Belize is a jewel. And so is the Kumquat Cottage.
|
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Robby Lee, Nashville, TN
|
|
| 04/28/06 |
Positive
|
| If you want to have a pleasant time in San Ignacio, you should choose Kumquat Cottage. Large rooms, unique designs and so many fun discoveries in the cottage. I stayed there with my friends, and had a great time.I would like to visit there again. |
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Kyoko |
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